Little Falls transcript., 1887-06-17
THE SELKIRK PA IS.
The indebtedness Of the Canadian Pacific
) to = M1iinnesotian for the Discovery OF ths
Pass, a. z5*

University, Kingston, Canada, gives
an interesting account in the Century,
OF his trip over the Canadian Pacific
Railroad from Montreal to Puget
Sound, and of the desperate search in
former years for a feasible pass over
the Selkirk Mountains, and how after
all other engineers had failed, the
pass was finally discovered in 1881
by Major Rogers, an American en-.
gineer, a. Minnes otian, and brother
Of Hon. r. E. Rogers, oi
Waterville, Waseca county. It is
O. thrilling narrative OF nerve, endur.
ance and final success The following
is quoted from Frof. Grants article:
"In February, 1881, the syndicate
appointed an American, Maj. A. B,
Rogers, c. E., engineer of the Mountain
Division OF the Canada Pacific Rail.
way. He seemed to be about as unlike
ly a man for the work OF ascertaining
whether the Selkirks problem was sol
uble as could have been chosen. He
knew little or nothing OF mountains;
his previous experience had been in
states where there is no counterpart
to the characteristic scenery and dit
ficulties OF British Columbia. But
Maj. Rogers, like true descendent Of
the Pilgrim Or Puritan fathers, isa:
man who goes to the particular wilder
ness to which he may be appointed,
asking no questions. Naturally in
tense, self-reliant, and scornful Of ap.
pearances, the opposite schooling OF
the old-fashioned Down-East training,
the rough experience of engineer and
frontier life have made him so down
right that he is apt to be appalling to
ordinary mortals. Though between
so and go years Of age, hair and beard
now white, no youngster in his party
will plunge into the grimmest mount
ain ranges with as little thought OF
commissariat or as complete a con-
tempt OF danger, and no Indian will
encounter fatigue or famine as stole
ally.
The major and his nephew, Mr.. Al
bert Rogers, hiring at kamloops ten
Shuswap Indians from the Roman
Catholic mission to carry their packs,
started in April to force their way to
the east. They succeeded in reaching
the core Of the Selkirk range, by fol-
lowing the east fork of the Ille-Cille-
Waet; but, like Moberly on the north
fork, they got only to a. cul de sac,
and their packs having become olni-
nously light, they-heavy with the con-
sclousness OF failure-came to thecon-
clusion that retreat was inevitable.
Before retracing their steps, however,
they climbed the divide to see if any
break could be detected in the range.
Yes; a valley appeared in the direction
OF an unexplored little af1uent or the
nle-Cille-Waet, and, apparently con-
nected with it, a depression extending
to the east. Everywhere else, all
around to the horizon, nothing but
"snoWclad desolation." The eresult OF
five or six weeks endurance of almost
intolerable misery was this gleam OF
hope.
Our Journey enabled US to under
stand what they must have suffered.
The underbrush is of the densest, ow-
ing to the ceaseless rain. Black flies
or mosquitoes do their part un-
weariedly. What with fallen timber
OF Of enormous size, precipices, prie;kly
thorns, beaver dams, marshes full Of
fetid water to be waded through, alder
swamps, lakelets surrounded by bluffs
so steep that it would almost puzzle
chamois to get over Or around them,
we had all we wanted Of the Ille-C -Cille-
Waet and the Eagle Pass. But they
had started too early in the season.
The snow was not only deep, but it
was melting and rotting under spring
suns and rains, and therefore would
not bear their weig ght. Down they
sunk at every step, and often in the
worst kind Of pitfalls. At first their
loads were so heavy that they had to
leave part behind, and then, af-
ter camping early, return weari-
ly on their tracks for the second
load. The Indians would have deserted
them adozen times over, but the Major
had arranged with the mission that if
they returned without certificate
they were to get q whipping instead OF
good pay. Nothing but pluck kept
them pegging away; but in spite of all
they failed that year. The following
May the Major made his attack from
the other side of the range, and again
he was unsuccessful. Swollen torrents
and scarcity Of supplies forced him
back to his base, at the point where
the Kicking Horse River joins the Co.
lumbia. On this occasion, had it not
been for the discovery OF a canoe, he
and his party would have starved.
Sorely y against their will he had put
them on half rations, but he gladdened
their hearts one morning by announc-
ing that it was his birthday, and pro.
ducing little sugar to sweeten their
tea.
Nothing daunted, he started again
the same summer: in the mouth of Ju-
ly, from the same base, and succeeded.
Proceeding up the valley OF the Beaver,
a large stream that enters the Colum-
bia through an open canon, and then
following the course of one of it's trib.
utaries appropriately called Bear
Creek, he at length found the long
sought-for pass. He saw the mount
ain from the summit OF which the
year before he and his nephew had
noticed the depression extending to
the east. Not content while anything
remained undone, he made for the
uOALu AOIA, toCclluSu IL 100, 10 bSCeE'
tain If it's headwaters would connect
with a tributary Of the Beaver, and
so perhaps afford something better;
but nothing better, or rather nothing
st all. was found. The Selkirks have
only one pass, but it is better than
the western slope of the main cham
by the Kicking Horse. And an Ameri-
can has had the honor of finding that
one on behalf of Canada! All honor
to him!
The Pilgrims Of the Maydower.
) The following is a list Of male passen-
gers-our forefathers- who landed at
Plymouth just 265 years ago. The
names. have not been published for
MANY Years and will ho po,u +0 this